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Giant Helleborine

Flowers

Stamp Info

Name Value
Date of Issue January 11, 2010
Year 2010
Quantity Continuous Printing
Denomination
$1.00
Perforation or Dimension Simulated perforation = Dentelure simulée, 13+
Series Flowers
Series Time Span 2004 - 2010
Postal Administration Canada

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Stamp Price Values

Condition Name Avg Value
M-NH-VF
Mint - Never Hinged - Very Fine Only available to paid users
U-VF
Used - Very Fine Only available to paid users
* Notes about these prices:
  • They are not based on catalogue values but on current dealer and auction listings. The reason for this is that catalogues tend to over-value stamps.
  • They are average prices. The actual value of your stamp may be slightly above or below the listed value, depending on the overall condition of your stamp. Use these prices as a guide to determine the approximate value of your stamps.

Stamp Supplies on Amazon

Layouts

Booklet of 6 stamps

Quantity Produced - Continuous printing
Current Purchase Price: Only available to paid users
Original Purchase Price: $6
Perforation: Simulated perforation
Dimension: 24 mm x 20 mm (horizontal)
Printing Process: Lithography in 5 colours
Gum Type: Pressure sensitive
Tagging: General, 4 sides
Paper: Tullis Russell
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Coil of 50 stamps

Quantity Produced - Continuous printing
Current Purchase Price: Only available to paid users
Original Purchase Price: $50
Perforation: Simulated perforation
Dimension: 24 mm x 20 mm (horizontal)
Printing Process: Lithography in 5 colours
Gum Type: Pressure sensitive
Tagging: General, 4 sides
Paper: Tullis Russell
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Souvenir sheet of 5 stamps

Quantity Produced - 220,000
Current Purchase Price: Only available to paid users
Original Purchase Price: $4.49
Perforation: 13+
Dimension: 141 mm x 83 mm (horizontal)
Printing Process: Lithography in 8 colours
Gum Type: P.V.A.
Tagging: General, 4 sides
Paper: Tullis Russell
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OFDC

Quantity Produced - 19,000
Original Purchase Price: $5.49
Cancellation Location: Flowers Cove, Newfoundland
Perforation: 13+
Dimension: 141 mm x 83 mm (horizontal)
Printing Process: Lithography in 5 colours
Gum Type: PVA
Tagging: General, 4 sides
Paper: Tullis Russell
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About Stamp

Elegant, luxurious, and laced with sensuous aromas, orchids (Orchidaceae) have been a subject of worldwide fascination for centuries. They symbolized virility to the ancient Greeks, were called “the plant of the King’s fragrance” by the Chinese, and were even used in love potions during the Middle Ages. But don’t be misled by their beauty and grace; orchids can be deceiving. They depend on pollinators to produce seeds, and often lure them in through sexual deceit (imitating the scent of the pollinator’s mate), and mimicry (emulating the blooms of other pollen-rich flowers). In fact, through their peculiar knack for seduction, these flowers have multiplied and diversified into the biggest flowering plant family on Earth. More than 60 species of orchids can be found scattered across the Canadian landscape, from Newfoundland and Labrador’s sheltered earth pockets to the moist soil near British Columbia’s hot springs.

This year, Canada Post will issue a set of four definitive stamps featuring orchids that grow in Canada. The stamps are the fifth issue in a popular series that began in 2004. “These flowers are extremely interesting, both in terms of their variations in appearance and peculiar breeding patterns,” notes Danielle Trottier, Manager of Stamp Design and Production at Canada Post. “This series has been a great opportunity to showcase their exquisite diversity.”

The Striped Coralroot (Corallorhiza striata), named for its heaps of coral-like roots and distinctive red striping, comes to life on the domestic PERMANENT™ stamp. The vibrant leafy stems and flaring petals of the Giant Helleborine (Epipactis gigantea) are in full bloom on the U.S. stamp. The charming rose-pink blossom of the Rose Pogonia (Pogonia ophioglossoides), which emits the sweet scent of fresh raspberries, is captured on the international stamp. And the upright clusters of the showy magenta flowers of the Grass Pink (Calopogon tuberosus), which grace wet bog lands in mid summer, are featured on the oversize denomination stamp.

“We chose the flowers for their different shapes and colours, because we wanted to display the wonderful varieties of wild orchids that grow in Canada,” says Sophie Lafortune, who, along with design partner Monique Dufour, designed the issue. Each stamp features a photograph that shows off the elegant, sculpted blooms and vivid shades for which orchids are famous. “We added a soft green around the contour of the flowers to emphasize their distinct shapes, while locating them in their natural environments,” explains Lafortune. The flowers are set against a white background. “Since the stamps are so small, we needed a background that would really make the flowers pop.” The souvenir sheet features a close-up of a Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis). “The strong contrast between this vibrant background and the white stamps really gives prominence to the stamps.”

The stamps, available in coil, booklet, and souvenir sheet format, will be cancelled in Flowers Cove, Newfoundland.

Did you know?

  • Botanists believe that orchid species number more than 25,000 worldwide.
  • Orchids grow in every continent except Antarctica.
  • Vanilla planifolia, an orchid native to Mexico and Central America, is the main source for the popular baking ingredient, vanilla.
  • Grammatophyllum speciosum, otherwise known as the Giant Orchid, is the world’s largest orchid. It can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and its pseudobulbs, long stems that store water and nutrients, can grow to a length of 2.5 metres.

Creators

Design: Monique Dufour Design: Sophie Lafortune Photography: Martin Fletcher

Similar Stamps

Reference

Canada Post Corporation. Details. Vol. 19, No. 1, p. 14-16.

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